Latest releases
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74 releases
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Hunger figures must be a wake-up call for Communities Minister, says Mulholland
Alliance Communities spokesperson Sian Mulholland MLA expresses concern at Trussell figures showing 21% of people in Northern Ireland reported their household ran out of food in the last year, and calls on the Communities Minister to bring forward an funded Anti-Poverty Strategy with deadlines and…
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Stormont poverty statistics release Original release: Hunger figures must be a wake-up call for Communities Minister, says Mulholland (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Gildernew calls for urgent action to tackle child poverty
Sinn Féin's Colm Gildernew MLA urges the Communities Minister to act quickly on an anti-poverty plan after a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report found almost one in five children in the North living in poverty. He says the minister's draft strategy lacked sector confidence and dedicated funding, and…
Social security and welfare Original release: Gildernew calls for urgent action to tackle child poverty (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 10 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Carroll: Reject Givan’s Delay Tactics. Make Sure No Child Goes Hungry
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll says he will vote against the Education Minister's amendments to the Holiday Meal Payments Bill at Further Consideration Stage and back the Education Committee's amendments, so payments are never below a school dinner's cost.
Social security and welfare Education Original release: Carroll: Reject Givan’s Delay Tactics. Make Sure No Child Goes Hungry (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 12 October 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Free School Meals Is Common-Sense That Stormont Refuses to Implement Cllr Shaun Harkin
PBP Cllr Shaun Harkin pledges support for UNISON's campaign for universal free school meals, urging Stormont to implement the policy and arguing that child poverty in Derry shows the need for it.
Social security and welfare Education Original release: Free School Meals Is Common-Sense That Stormont Refuses to Implement Cllr Shaun Harkin (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 2 October 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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SDLP launches plan for food system transformation
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP launches a policy paper, Seeds of Success, proposing a legal entitlement to food, ring-fenced soft drinks levy revenue, local sourcing targets for public procurement and a healthy food subsidy pilot. It frames food insecurity as a public health and economic issue.
Agriculture and rural affairs Social security and welfare Original release: SDLP launches plan for food system transformation (opens in a new tab)
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Anti-Poverty Strategy must define, resource and respect role of councils – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew calls for the final Anti-Poverty Strategy to define, resource and respect councils' role, following an Assembly motion on council input. He urges the DfC and Minister Lyons to use the Committee's report to restore co-design, which he says has been missing so far.
Social security and welfare Local government Issue: Assembly motion on councils' role in the anti-poverty strategy Original release: Anti-Poverty Strategy must define, resource and respect role of councils – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Doherty: Holiday hunger legislation must be fully funded
SDLP West Belfast Councillor Paul Doherty says holiday hunger legislation, due for Second Stage in the Assembly on Monday, must be fully funded to restore payments removed during the collapse of Stormont. He urges the Sinn Féin Finance Minister to work with the Education Minister and calls on the…
Social security and welfare Public finance and taxation Issue: Holiday hunger legislation Second Stage in the Assembly Original release: Doherty: Holiday hunger legislation must be fully funded (opens in a new tab)
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Baker welcomes Holiday Hunger Bill progressing to next stage
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker welcomes the Holiday Hunger Bill clearing second stage in the Assembly and moving to committee, saying it will help 90,000 disadvantaged children and families during holidays. He criticises the Education Minister for not backing the bill and pledges cross-party work to…
Social security and welfare Issue: Holiday Hunger Bill passes second stage in Assembly Original release: Baker welcomes Holiday Hunger Bill progressing to next stage (opens in a new tab)
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International School Meals Day
People Before Profit joins a Derry Trades Union Council rally at the Guildhall calling for free school meals for all children. It cites 41% of children in poverty lacking access and a 20% school meals price rise, and calls for universal free school meals now.
Social security and welfare Education Original release: International School Meals Day (opens in a new tab)
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Communities Minister must listen to those on frontline tackling poverty – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew calls on Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to take on board concerns from local councils and community organisations about his plan to tackle poverty, and to bring forward a more ambitious plan. He says the minister ignored campaigners and councils during its…
Social security and welfare Local government Issue: Communities Committee hearing on Communities Minister's anti-poverty plan Original release: Communities Minister must listen to those on frontline tackling poverty – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Baker moves bill to tackle holiday hunger
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker has introduced his Bill to the Assembly to make payments to parents of around 90,000 children receiving free school meals during school holidays. He says the Bill passed its first stage and calls for cross-party work to progress it.
Social security and welfare Issue: Danny Baker bill on holiday payments for free school meal children Original release: Baker moves bill to tackle holiday hunger (opens in a new tab)
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Tackling poverty central to any effort to raise wellbeing standards, says Bradshaw
Alliance TEO spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA says Northern Ireland wellbeing figures are encouraging overall but show persistent gaps for disabled people and those in deprived circumstances. She calls for early investment in healthcare, housing, education and mental health, and for the Executive…
Social security and welfare Disability and equality Issue: Individual Wellbeing in Northern Ireland 2024 to 2025 report publication Original release: Tackling poverty central to any effort to raise wellbeing standards, says Bradshaw (opens in a new tab)
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Doherty slams Lyons over hardship funding
SDLP West Belfast councillor Paul Doherty criticises Communities Minister Gordon Lyons for confirming no Department for Communities funding for Belfast City Council's Hardship Fund in 2025/26. He says the decision will hit projects such as school breakfast clubs and calls on the Executive to take…
Social security and welfare Local government Original release: Doherty slams Lyons over hardship funding (opens in a new tab)
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Hunter: Minister must have ambition to deliver free school meals
SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA says the Education Minister must show ambition on universal free school meals, following the Assembly's passage of her party's motion on Tuesday. She accuses the Minister of deflecting, warns that children are going hungry and says Northern…
Education Social security and welfare Original release: Hunter: Minister must have ambition to deliver free school meals (opens in a new tab)
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Doherty named as Right to Food Commissioner
SDLP councillor Paul Doherty says he has been named to the Right to Food Commission, which will gather evidence across Britain and the North on hunger and foodbanks. He says he will represent the North and push for policy shaped by people with lived experience of poverty.
Social security and welfare Local government Original release: Doherty named as Right to Food Commissioner (opens in a new tab)
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Final Anti-Poverty Strategy must be delivered without delay – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew raises concern about delays to a final Anti-Poverty Strategy, after Communities Committee officials said it could slip to after April 2026. He calls on the Communities Minister to set a clear timeline for a robust strategy.
Social security and welfare Original release: Final Anti-Poverty Strategy must be delivered without delay – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Communities Minister must ensure Anti-Poverty Strategy is strengthened – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew calls on the Communities Minister to strengthen the final Anti-Poverty Strategy and address concerns raised about the draft, after a Joseph Rowntree Foundation roundtable marking World Poverty Day.
Social security and welfare Original release: Communities Minister must ensure Anti-Poverty Strategy is strengthened – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Doherty: Child poverty must be political priority
SDLP West Belfast councillor Paul Doherty says child poverty must become a political priority, urging the Executive and Communities Minister to overhaul the anti‑poverty strategy and introduce free school meals, greater childcare support and higher child‑welfare payments after an SDLP Opposition Day
Social security and welfare Original release: Doherty: Child poverty must be political priority (opens in a new tab)
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‘Tackling child poverty must be a priority for all parties’ – Baker
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker says parties must work together on child poverty and calls on the DUP Communities Minister to strengthen the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy after its consultation closed. He also promotes his planned legislation placing a legal duty on education bodies to make holiday…
Social security and welfare Education Original release: ‘Tackling child poverty must be a priority for all parties’ – Baker (opens in a new tab)
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Harkin: Use Consultation to Challenge Stormont Executive on Betrayal to Tackle Poverty
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin says the Executive's draft Anti-Poverty Strategy, now out for consultation, is a betrayal and has no proposals, actions or targets, and urges the public to press the Executive to scrap and fully replace it using the expert working group's proposals.
Social security and welfare Original release: Harkin: Use Consultation to Challenge Stormont Executive on Betrayal to Tackle Poverty (opens in a new tab)